Beacon Park Tracker

[boatsmate]

the UPS train normally starts and terminates in Worcester Yard. has for a few years.. I have seen the occasional ups trailer in Beacon park on a train... but for the most part they all go to Worcester. the last I checked Becaon Park - they where still getting 1 train a day of Trailers. however all the road power is still going to Boston also. there is also a local that still goes to beacon park to service Houghton and anyone else still there. I hear them occastionally when I get out of work following a comuter to boston out of framingham.

[agreinhold]

As of yesterday, January 5, 2013, the intermodal operation at Beacon Park appeared to still be in full operation and seems to have expanded into the yard between the engine house and Houghton Chemical. Anyone know what the new plan is?

[Mbta fan]

Even when beacon park closes down, there's plenty of yards east of worcester to take the traffic. Readville is in a critical spot for multiple reasons. Framingham has two yards that are in operation plus the walpole yard. Csx will be fine east of worcester if traffic doesn't pick up substantially.

[Narrowgauger]

Even when beacon park closes down, there's plenty of yards east of worcester to take the traffic. Readville is in a critical spot for multiple reasons. Framingham has two yards that are in operation plus the walpole yard. Csx will be fine east of worcester if traffic doesn't pick up substantially.

What reasons might that be? Althou it does seem like readville is seeing a bit more traffic of late....
Ted

[Mbta fan]

Ted, are u asking to elaborate on why readville is important for multiple reasons or do u want me to expand on what I said? I'm not sure what u want know.

[Narrowgauger]

MBTA FAN.......Just wondering what might be in store for Readville. Ive been going to the yard from back in NH days. I miss the days of 3-4 sd80s or c40-8w pulling in every day. What are the reasons you mentioned?
Thank Ted

[CRail]

The yard has become quite empty. They're still handling one Piggy back/COFC train a day it appears, but it seems to be getting shorter. Houghton's cars show up, and the junction's cars were there tonight, I assume waiting to be brought to Everett. Surplus equipment has been scrapped, and the good equipment is where the surplus (dead stuff) once sat. It's beginning to look like the end there.

[Mbta fan]

Ted, readville is in a critical spot for these reasons. Has direct connections to lines that it serves, has access to one of the nations most critical rail corridors and is the last moderate sized yard east of Framingham and south of the city that would be left after beacon park closes. Many locals run from readville that serves everything from the Boston globe in Dorchester(i think) to Robert Bury panels in my hometown of walpole. All the small yards around metro boston can't handle traffic like readville can. Walpole's yard is only 4-6 tracks that are usually half full at most. I've seen walpole's yard empty for a while and readville has always had something in the yard when I go by.

[Narrowgauger]

MBTA FAN......
Hi neighbor !! Im in Dedham and have been going there almost daily since the Penn Central days. I hope they keep the yard and bring more traffic into it. I remember the yard having hundred car trains coming in all the time. Sad to see it now. Walpoles small yard has always interested me because its perfect size for modeling.
Ted

[Mbta fan]

Didn't know u lived that close Ted. I have a family member that lives close to readville as well. I do agree walpole's yard is great for modeling, plus u have the diamond were the subdivision meets the Franklin line. Readville would be good for modeling, because u have the NEC mainline, the Franklin Line going over the NEC and the csx yard. Back to beacon park.

[agreinhold]

I went by Beacon Park yard today and the container operation is completely gone. The engine facility is still very active and there were 3 gondolas and a switching engine in the main yard. Only one track, the south-most, is being used by the MBTA, as evidenced by the uncleared snow.

[Knucklehead]

I went by Beacon Park yard today and the container operation is completely gone. The engine facility is still very active and there were 3 gondolas and a switching engine in the main yard. Only one track, the south-most, is being used by the MBTA, as evidenced by the uncleared snow.

Same thing on Saturday morning, however TV1 track was full of bare tables.

[csxb&aconductor]

those tables and buckets went west on sun morn on the L113-17,the switcher engine will be gone next week as the yard crews are done on fri,also the engine house will be closed the first week of april. now as for the gondolas the b721 has been leaving a few cars there

[Komarovsky]

They're really closing the engine house? I thought that was to remain open for a while longer, since the only other facility like that in the area is in Selkirk.

[Narrowgauger]

They're really closing the engine house? I thought that was to remain open for a while longer, since the only other facility like that in the area is in Selkirk.

So are you saying that the end of Beacon Park is here? What can we expect for freight traffic east of Worcester ?
Ted